


Gods Old and New

by laissemoidanser



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 06:58:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19371670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laissemoidanser/pseuds/laissemoidanser
Summary: Jack and Gabriel retire happily and go on a belated honeymoon trip to a beautiful forgotten land.Just wilderness and the two old men together finally having the time of their life.





	Gods Old and New

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me when I was on a trip. Couldn't find rest ever since

 

 

***

 

The old bus is dusty, hot, packed with people and Omnics. Both tourists and locals returning home after a day spent in the capital. The air conditioner apparently never existed here but no one seems to be bothered by such an inconvenience. All around people are talking in foreign languages, their voices merging into a continuous incoherent noise the further they go while the bus is bravely fighting its way through the bumps and holes in the road – up and up, to the picturesque mountains. The road is completely surrounded, smothered in various flowers – forsythia, bird cherry, yellow roses contrasting vividly against blood red poppies. There isn’t much green yet and those colorful splashes are truly striking to the eye, the fragrant smell of them so refreshing even though mixed with the persistent odor of gasoline.

Jack is dozing off in the crummy backseat, his legs spread so wide he’s almost occupying two seats at this point. Now and again he gets a frustrated knee nudge in his thigh - Gabriel, trying to keep some personal space in this heat while watching the scenery outside the window. But Jack just keeps slipping closer to him – a habit he’ll probably never be able to get rid of.

An instinctive need to feel the other’s presence and make sure he still stays by his side. 

“Sorry,” Jack mumbles sleepily for what feels like a hundredth time, shifting back to his seat. He doses off again to the soft sound of Gabriel’s sigh and a lazy whisper, 

“Hot enough without you here”

Soon the bus hits one particularly stubborn bump and jerks miserably, rattling its human and omnic contents like a raffle drum.  Jack sits up a little, stretches his limbs, sore from prolonged seating, yawns and rubs his eyes, looking around a little bewildered. 

“Gonna be better once we get there and the evening settles,” he says. 

“Sure thing,” Gabriel replies, too bored and pensive to spare Jack as much as a glance. “Unless we die of the heat right here” 

Jack snorts and shakes his head, then shifts in his seat and procures a phone from a pocket of his jeans. He fumbles with it for a while and then announces, 

“We’re almost there by the way. Your suffering shall end soon” 

Gabriel sighs dramatically again, his head propped on one hand. He still seems to be utterly consumed by contemplating the views outside. 

“Why couldn’t we just stay at the hotel the whole day and do nothing? Why do you always have to run somewhere?” 

His words are halfhearted but Jack knows how much Gabriel hates the heat. He feels a little guilty for suggesting the trip in the morning because the weather report they saw at the reception desk turned out to be wrong.

He expected the day to be cool and pleasant, with a little promise of rain. But instead they ended up here, boiling up in this wheeled cauldron.

Not a romantic getaway he actually imagined. 

He touches a sleeve of Gabriel’s pink hoodie with his fingers, a little crooked smile plays apologetically on his scarred lips. 

“Just hang on there a couple more minutes, okay?” he says softly and that earns him a cocky suspicious gaze.

But when he slides his hand lower and takes Gabriel’s the man responds and accepts it, their fingers interlacing. It still seems unsettling to Jack how cool Gabriel’s skin feels to the touch these days, how sharp and alien his darkened clawed fingers are against the pads of his own.

But he knows he will get used to it.

Eventually. 

The bus drops them off on the side of a country road, sneezes and proceeds on its crawling way, leaving the two in a cloud of dust, in the middle of nowhere.

Once the dust settles, a breathtaking view unveils in front of them. All around beneath them rests endless misty forest and from it huge mountains arise in most unusual shapes, their slopes perfectly cut, as if polished and painted out of liquid air, going up at negative angles in some places. Ancient ruins can be seen atop several of them. 

“Well, this view is something,” Gabriel breathes out, his eyes wide with fascination. Jack smiles in response. 

“Right,” he says, taking a lungful of fresh mountain air mixed with the smell of pine and flowers.

“Still regretting not staying at the hotel?” he asks.

“Hmm,” Gabriel rubs his beard as if pondering. “Haven’t made up my mind yet.” 

“Well that’s something at least”

“Let’s go,” he takes Gabriel by the hand and starts leading him away from the crumbling stone fencing by the edge of the road.

“Wait a minute,” Gabriel says, pulling back. “Before we leave these last signs of civilized world behind, let’s take a selfie here, shall we?” 

They take a selfie - Gabriel in his pink hoodie and huge sunglasses concealing half of his face and Jack by his side in his favorite navy blue Hawaiian t-shirt to match his eyes. Both of them smiling happily. It’s somewhat awkward and the angle is weird because the sun keeps getting in their eyes but in the end they manage to get it right. Both of them get caught up in the way sun reflects against each other’s skin, against each wrinkle and scar.

Maybe it’s not just about the sun. 

“Why aren’t there any more people around?” Gabriel wonders when they reach a little grove by the road and continue on their way up a slope of a rocky hill. 

“Place used to be one hell of a tourist attraction once,” Jack explains, climbing up a boulder and looking around for directions. “It was abandoned after the Crisis. Just like many other historical sites. I read about this one.” 

“They also say it’s a place of great spiritual power,” Gabriel says, admiring the offered view on Jack’s ankles while the man is still standing on the boulder above him. “I read about it too. You aren’t the only researcher here.” 

Jack looks down and scoffs softly at Gabriel’s sweet self-satisfied smile. 

“I figured,” he says and motions for Gabriel to follow him further. 

They end up on the edge of one of the mountain formations, protruding over the spectacular scene in a series of separate rocks which once probably used to be whole but now are crumbling slowly. Ancient giants living out the last of their millennia.

“Let’s camp out here a while,” Jack suggests lowering their heavy backpack onto the ground covered with a soft carpet of grass and velvet flowers. “Must be really nice at the sunset.” 

“It’s like the whole world is spread out before you,” Gabriel says stepping closer to the edge and daring a look down. His broad-shouldered silhouette stands impending and regal against the reddening sun. 

“Don’t stay too close to the edge,” Jack warns gingerly, watching him.

Gabriel looks back and huffs a laugh.

“Please,” he dismisses Jack with a roll of his shoulder.

Jack knows that Gabriel won’t do anything stupid. Not at this point in his life….Yet still his heart is thrashing uneasily in his chest up until the moment Gabriel walks away from the edge and is safely back to help him with unpacking.

 

***

 

They settle down on a large picnic rug, eat their food supplies which mostly consist of sandwiches and fruit while watching the nature flourish without human intervention. 

“I can see why those monks decided to build temples up there,” Gabriel muses, gesturing in the direction of the ruins with his sandwich. “Would’ve probably done the same if I ever turned up here.” 

“You? A monk??” Jack laughs. “Stop bullshitting me, Gabe,”

“Why?” Gabriel shrugs. “I would’ve made a damn fine monk.”

“Okay-okay, whatever you say,” Jack replies, fishing a flask out of the backpack. “Let’s drink to it, shall we?”

“What’s this? Whiskey?” Gabriel wonders. “I’m not drinking that shit.”

“ _That_ is wine,” Jack explains, raising the flask and pointing at it. When Gabriel arches an eyebrow in surprise, he adds, “And a damn fine one I must say.” 

“You’ve come prepared.” 

“Sure have. Even got some plastic glasses… to drink it in a proper manner.”

“Wanted to make you feel a little better after all the shit…,” he remarks in a lower voice. “You’ve been so moody lately.” 

He’s got a lot on his mind. A lot of things to say and to confess to Gabriel. But he refrains from it and instead they fill the glasses up with wine - in a complete silence. They have all the time in the world now. And there’s no need to rush things which can also be quite hard to get used to.

But there’s that special tiny smile tugging at the corners of Gabriel’s lips. Something Jack hasn’t seen in a long while and that’s all that matters right here and now.

“Let’s toast to something...,” he begins but Gabriel interrupts him at once.

“To _us_ , Jack. Just the two of us” 

“Yeah. To _us_.”

The sun starts rolling down towards the distant horizon, spilling its soft light over the plush canopy of trees and mighty rocky forms. The wine starts buzzing pleasantly in Jack’s head, mixed with the mountain air, it’s making him dizzy. He looks over at Gabriel and thinks how there’s no man more handsome in this entire world.

“This scenery suits you well,” he mutters, leaning to Gabriel. He smooches a prominent scar on the other’s cheek, traces the line of Gabriel’s cheekbone with his lips – a touch barely tangible but conveying so much.

“Really?” Gabriel asks, flashing a sly smile. He turns his face to Jack and kisses him, first chastely than passionately. Gabriel licks his lips when they pull apart and surmises, 

“Suits you too, boyscout.” 

“How about we fuck right here?” as the rational mind leaves him, Jack’s slides his hand daringly between Gabriel’s thighs, making him gasp in surprise. 

Gabriel doesn’t respond at once, making him wait, but the way he looks at Jack suggests the needed answer.

“I knew there was a reason you took me all the way up here. And it wasn’t the scenery.”

“No, Gabe, it wasn’t. The reason was _you_ all along. Just like always.” 

Gabriel narrows his eyes, studying Jack closely, as if pondering whether to give in to him completely or torment him some more. Tormenting him is a habit he still can’t dismiss entirely ….

“Is this the part where I...?”

“Get undressed?” Jack smirks triumphantly. “It is.” 

“Okay.” 

He has to admit - giving in to Jack feels so damn nice, feels like nothing else.

Leisurely, he undoes his hoodie, observing Jack’s reaction. He can see pure hunger dancing in those piercing blue eyes and wonders yet again how on earth he’s still capable of evoking such a strong feeling in the other man. He’s nothing but a shadow of his former self. 

Yet Jack never fails to make him feel strong again.  

With a mellow sigh Gabriel folds his hoodie and places it aside, left only in his black t-shirt now, tight over his bulging muscles. He looks different somehow, leaner and paler these days, his skin is blemished with black smoky spots – a legacy from Reaper once invading his body. But he’s still Jack’s Gabriel.

Jack can’t help but reach out and touch him, caress every curve of him, his hand venturing downward again as their lips meet in yet another needy kiss. This time Gabriel moans openly into it and pushes into Jack’s hand, hot and hard under the fabric of his jeans. Jack cups him through it and massages him gently but persistently. 

“Let me undress first,” Gabriel protests softly. 

“Let me help you with it,” Jack whispers urgently. 

He undoes Gabriel’s jeans and yanks them all the way down to his knees. He halts for a moment to smile at the pattern of white skulls on Gabriel’s black underwear, before proceeding to tug it down as well.

  _The man is full of surprises_.

Gabriel lifts his hips to help him get rid of it. He’s half hard already; his cock heavy against the cooling air and Jack is too impatient not to be tempted by the sight of it. He takes it in his hand and starts to stroke, bringing Gabriel to full hardness in no time. Gabriel lies down on his back, his breathing growing progressively shallow and urgent. Jack lifts his T-shirt up to his neck, baring his pecs and bows down to kiss his way across the heavy thickness of them. He pays special attention to each nipple, teases the skin with his lips and his teeth, then showers his scarred hardened body with soft feathery kisses, making Gabriel moan and arch towards him. 

He kisses his way past his stomach, marking the hard muscles there with tender bites, past his navel and further down to where the line of dark pubic hair starts. Gabriel cards his fingers through Jack’s silver hair, guiding him lower. 

“Ahhh, there,” he mutters, his voice trembling when Jack licks the head of his cock, takes him in his mouth and starts pleasuring him.

“Fuck, Jackie, fuck yeah!”

Jack isn’t exactly gentle, but he knows Gabriel so well - his every move, every swirl of his tongue is precise and determined to bring his lover as close to the edge as possible. Very soon Gabriel’s hips start to jerk mercilessly upwards, into his mouth and Jack takes a gentle hold of the base of Gabriel’s cock, sliding his fingers lower and cupping his balls. Gabriel growls with pleasure, opening his legs further.

Jack pulls off his cock, kisses it gently and fixes his partner with a lustful stare, signaling something only Gabriel is able to decipher. 

They don’t talk much when they fuck... or make love...or however kids call it these days. For the two of them it’s an entirely different game. A game they know by heart and yet discover anew every time. 

Gabriel rolls over and gets on his hands and knees. The curves of his taut body contrasting so finely against the darkening forests below. The sun is spilling gold over the bronze of his skin and Jack hurries to praise it with kisses too. 

Gabriel arches his back as Jack shifts lower, his hands roaming along his partner’s sides, fingers caressing the map of his body, his broad shoulder blades, his ribs, the ridges of muscle on both sides of his spine, - until he reaches his tailbone. He pauses there to plant teasing kisses to the sensitive spot, hot breath licking the skin; then he sinks his tongue boldly between Gabriel’s ass cheeks - to taste him, to prepare him for what’s in store.

“Yes, Jack, _yes_ ,” Gabriel moans. Jack knows how much he likes this.

He relishes in the way Gabriel’s whole body jerks and shivers at the contact, in tiny sounds of approval he’s making. He teases his entrance with his lips and his tongue and then probes the tip in while spreading his cheeks more. Gabriel moans and arches for him, pushes back hungrily, demanding more. 

And Jack gives him more - gladly.

Pushes his tongue deeper, accelerating his assaulting rhythm, making Gabriel bite his lower lip and groan in excruciating pleasure that grips him tight and washes over him in sweetest waves. He smells so sweet, of soap and some fancy cologne, and sex, and of Gabriel. It drives Jack crazy with want. It is beyond his power to resist something like that. But he takes his time, playing, teasing, opening him up both with his tongue and with his fingers. 

When he rises on his knees to undo his own jeans he discovers that he’s grown so hard it’s actually problematic. Finally he gets rid of them and frees his cock, heavy and oozing precome. Jack gives it several languid strokes, utterly lost in the view in front of him.

“Wanna fuck you,” he states although he’s made his intentions pretty obvious by now. He just likes the flaming spark in Gabriel’s dark hazel eyes that his words ignite. “Wanna fuck you real bad.” 

“Please,” is the only word he gets in return and this word alone, the way Gabriel says it, is nearly enough to bring him over the edge. 

He reaches for the backpack, unzips it and fumbles for a bottle of lube.

 “Damn. Where’d I put it?” 

“We could go without it,” Gabriel suggests all of a sudden. The thought sends a jolt of rough pleasure right into Jack’s aching cock, his imagination going wild. But he knows better than that. 

Gabriel gets impatient. Deliberately, he puts two fingers in his mouth, slicks them, and then guides his hand between his legs, slipping the two fingers inside himself while his eyes remain fixed sharply on Jack. 

“ _Fuck._ Stop it,” Jack all but pleads.

At last he finds the small bottle, which of course got stuck in the farthest corner of the backpack. He fishes it out. He pops it open; his fingers tremble while he’s covering his cock in lube. 

“You’re taking too damn long,” Gabriel remarks, pushing his fingers in and out, rolling his hips to meet the motion. 

He’s getting Jack so turned on by his little performance it’s almost painful. Eager, Jack moves behind him, swats his hand out of the way, spreads him open and slides his cock right into him without wasting time on more preparation.

Gabriel groans and squeezes tight around him. 

“Teasing me like that,” Jack grumbles, pushing deeper despite the maddening tightness, until he’s fully sheathed inside. “You’ve got no damn mercy”

“You okay?” he asks. It comes out more like a growl deep in his throat.

Gabriel takes a shallow breath and manages an almost tiny “Yeah, go on”

Jack slowly pulls all the way out and then slides back in. He repeats the motion until Gabriel relaxes and starts writhing sweetly under him, allowing him to go faster. 

“I’m close,” he warns Jack all of a sudden, grabbing at the rug beneath them just when Jack begins to lose control, to lose himself in the feeling of Gabriel so close to him and all around him. 

“What?” Jack breathes out. “Already? I…I’m… only getting started…”

Gabriel shifts under him and turns a little to face him, placing his palm against Jack’s chest. A sure sign to stop. Jack pulls out of him that very instant. 

“What are you…?” he asks in confusion.

But Gabriel catches his lips with his own before he has a chance to finish the sentence. He kisses so passionately Jack loses last traces of rational mind. Next thing he knows - he’s lying on his back with Gabriel above him, straddling him and smiling smugly at him. 

So damn triumphant and handsome. He’s always known the ways to sweep Jack off his feet.

“Such a beautiful place you showed me,” he says in a soft voice, leaning down and kissing Jack’s swollen lips once more. “We need to make it feel special. We need to take our time, baby.”

Jack can swear he tastes like heaven, closes his eyes against the gentle warmth of the setting sun and loses himself in the sweetness of their next kiss while letting his hands slide along Gabriel’s body, until he’s grabbing his ass. He pushes him down on his hard cock again and starts fucking him.

Gabriel groans deep in his throat and the kiss gets sloppy, uncoordinated and hungry - all teeth and tongues and whispers of encouragements in between their gasps for breath. Gabriel breaks it and shifts away from Jack, straightens until his shoulders cover the sun. Its rich golden rays shine above him like a halo and oh, if only Jack could, he would deify him that very instant and knew no other god. Right now he wants nothing more than his blessing. 

Gabriel starts rolling his hips, moving on his own while Jack goes still, lost in his reverence. Absent-mindedly, he’s caressing the heated curves and hard swells of his lover’s powerful body. Gabriel throws his head back, moans wantonly and bites his lower lip. A gentle breeze ruffles the curls of his dark hair, veins standing out in his strong neck and Jack can tell that he’s close. 

“ _Fuck_ , Jack,” he breathes out abruptly, resting a dark sultry gaze on Jack. And then once again he untangles himself from Jack’s persistent grip and slides off his cock. It falls heavily against Jack’s stomach, making him hiss from the sudden sensation of cool air against it instead of Gabriel’s welcoming heat. 

He realizes Gabriel is close to him, whispering in his ear,

“Want something more?”  

Tormentor.

He tugs on Jack’s earlobe with his teeth, getting his blood to boil as if there were liquid fire running through his body instead. 

“ _Yeahhh_ …?” Jack manages to mumble in reply. It comes out more like a desperate sigh but it’s enough for Gabriel. He rises a little above Jack and turns around, presenting his back to him. Jack throws his head back when Gabriel grinds his ass tantalizingly against his swollen cock, stealing a glance at him over his shoulder. 

“How do you like it down there?” he teases.

Jack traces the line of Gabriel’s spine with his thumbs, then squeezes his ass cheeks and spreads them, making Gabriel blush so intensely it’s visible even with all the sun getting in the way. 

“Better than the view on the ruins,” he confesses huskily and pushes up, easily slipping back inside Gabriel again.

Now that he can watch his cock sliding in and out of Gabriel’s slicked entrance, he knows he won’t last any longer. Soon he sits up, spreads Gabriel’s legs further with his knees and starts outright pounding him, so deep and perfect – now getting to that _right_ spot. The sound of skin slapping against skin is driving him wild.

Each breath Gabriel lets out is a whining throaty moan now that drives Jack right to the edge while he is fucking him relentlessly, giving him all he’s got. 

“I’m so close, Gabe,” he whispers, wrapping his arms tightly around Gabriel’s body, around his chest and his waist. He wants to never let him go. 

“So close”

The sunset in front of them is nothing short of spectacular. All threads of ardent red and golden. The sun sinks lower to its lair, where it will sleep peacefully until a new day comes. Gabriel and Jack kiss against it, completely and perfectly entwined. When they pull apart for a breath Jack bites Gabriel’s shoulder and comes, hard, spilling deep inside of him while watching the glorious light disappear behind the horizon. 

His vision goes blank for a few moments, so intense is the bliss he’s feeling. He stays inside Gabriel, trails kisses down the tense column of his neck, wraps his fingers around his lover’s hard cock and starts stroking him, moving inside of him to bring him off too. 

“You feel so good, Jackie, so good,” Gabriel whispers urgently.

“I know, baby. Come on, give it to me now. _Come_ for me.” 

Gabriel is trembling all over, sweet nonsense is spilling from his lips and when he comes his whole body shudders and Jack’s name is all he seems to be able to utter ceaselessly as his own release spurts hotly into Jack’s hand. Jack keeps stroking him gently, milking him dry until Gabriel goes completely pliant in his arms. 

Slowly Jack sinks down together with him, shifting his weight and pulling out gently. Gabriel hisses at the loss of contact but Jack makes sure to sooth him with warm kisses to his neck and shoulders. 

“Love you,” Gabriel tells him quietly and Jack’s heart throbs so violently in his chest he’s nearly suffocating. He falters, has to hold his breath for a second to pull himself together. He’s still not used to hearing such words.

“Love you too,” he finally manages to say back and raises his eyes to Gabriel’s - just for a peek but he drowns in them instead so deep and tender is the sentiment he sees there.

Gabriel smiles at him and breaks the spell by lying down and pulling Jack together with him. They linger a while longer, safe in each other’s arms, without talking much, just savoring the aftermath and the much cherished intimacy until it starts to get cold. 

Then they clean up and dress up, pack their backpack, cast the last glance at the glorious view and head out on their way back. 

 

***

 

“I don’t think we’re gonna catch any buses this late,” Gabriel observes while they are making their way down the narrow mountain path that haven’t known any human sightings for years. Gabriel’s hair is still slightly disheveled, his hoody a little crumpled and the sight is adorable, endearing – it makes Jack smile. 

“It’s okay”, he says. “There’s a house nearby. I rented it for two weeks. We’ll spend the night there, then we can go back to the city any time you want.” 

“You kidding me?” Gabriel stops in his tracks for a moment, his eyebrows raised in surprise. But he sees no signs of joking on Jack’s face. “Damn you’re such a smartass. You’ve really thought of everything, haven’t you? How come you didn’t tell me?” 

“I wanted it to be a surprise, Gabe. Besides, I could spend the night in the woods just like that. But I definitely wouldn’t wanna hear you whining about it.” 

He laughs when the statement earns him a joking nudge and a tackle. His laugh is open and sincere, sparkling kindness in his eyes. He hasn’t felt this good in ages.

“I hope you know the way to that house, boy scout. Or are you gonna navigate us by stars?”

“Stars can be helpful. Especially on such a clear night.” 

Gabriel takes a deep breath. 

“The night’s nice. Can’t argue about that. It’s a beautiful place.”

“Not really as beautiful as you are,” Jack says before thinking. Words just come out of his mouth without him realizing it. 

“What?” Gabriel asks in clear shock and Jack blushes furiously, feeling hot all over all of a sudden. He doesn’t remember the last time he told such sweet things to anyone and this was probably too much.

“Ah, nothing...,” he mumbles hurriedly, lowers his head and quietly continues on his way. 

_Tell him,_ a tiny voice inside his head whispers _. Tell him that he’s beautiful as only gods can be and how you want to make one out of him._

Jack shuts it off.

For some time nothing can be heard but cracking of twigs under their feet and a distant cry of some night bird. 

Then Gabriel is slipping his hand into Jack’s, asking 

“Will you say that again, Jackie?” 

Jack glances at him. Surprised and still embarrassed. 

“That was just...some foolish sappy bullshit, Gabe. I’m getting old it seems.”

“It wasn’t,” Gabriel tells him and there’s no trace of mockery in his voice. “You can get old and sappy all you want. I don’t mind. You’re still that same pretty golden boy to me.” 

Jack snorts. He isn’t. He’s old and roughened to the point of no return but it’s nice to hear these words from Gabriel.

“I just said that the place’s not nearly as beautiful as you are is what I think.”

Gabriel is looking at him, eyes dark and mysterious and there is that special twinkle in them when the corners of his lips curve into a heartwarming crooked smile. 

He places his palm against Jack’s nape and brings him closer for a kiss. They’re back by the stone fencing at this point, at the spot where the bus left them in the early evening. Kissing back, Jack suddenly presses closer and lifts Gabriel up in his arms, making him startle for a second. But they never break the kiss. Carefully, Jack lowers him down onto the fencing and they keep going - softly and gently against the breathtaking view. 

“What?” Gabriel asks him when they pull apart and Jack seems to be hesitating, trailing kisses against his cheek. Jack’s heart swells, nearly bursting with happiness and the powerful uplifting sensation of finally…being free.

“I want this to never end,” he says, their noses touching. 

“It won’t,” Gabriel promises him, wrapping his arms around Jack. “I’m with you and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I want to believe you. Even though I’m afraid I forgot how to…. But don’t you go all wraith and disappear on me, you hear?”

“I won’t. There’s only you and me now, Jack and all the world for us to discover. No more Overwatch. No more Talon.  Will _you_ be able to let that shit go?” 

Jack ponders his words.

“I don’t know,” he says at last. “Will you?”

“I don’t know either. They got me pretty good,” Gabriel frowns. “But I’ve always had something to hold on to even when I thought I lost my mind completely.”

“And what is this?” Jack asks, his heart hammering in his chest as he searches for answer in Gabriel’s dark eyes. “Tell me your secret.”

“My secret, huh? My secret has always been my faith.”

Jack can feel his heart drop.

“What do you believe in?” he asks bluntly. 

 “You,” the answer follows. “From start to the very end.”

Jack closes his eyes. Smiles. Shakes his head. The corners of his lips tremble treacherously.

“That’s sweet,” he says, swallowing around the lump in his throat.  “Enough for me.”

“Enough for what?” Gabriel asks, smiling too know. Moved deeply by Jack’s profound reaction, he reaches out to gently touch his cheek and calm him down.

“Enough to carry on,” Jack says, tilting his head into Gabriel’s touch.

“So are we in this together?”

“Yes. Let’s take this chance.”

“Then show me the way, Jack. I’ll follow.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
